The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 490

Paris, the 11th Arrondissement. An old apartment building, Room 401.

The curtains were drawn tight, and only a single desk lamp lit the room. Lyra sat in front of her laptop, the screen casting a ghastly white glow across her face. She stared at her phone. The message she had sent nearly two hours ago remained unanswered. She checked the time—4 PM in Paris, 11 PM in San Francisco. Christian wouldn't be asleep this early. He definitely saw it; he just didn't want to reply. She ran her thumb along the edge of the phone. The screen went dark, she tapped it awake, it went dark again, and she tapped it again. Still no new messages.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It wasn't Christian; it was her mother. Lyra took a deep breath, staring at the word 'Mom' flashing on the screen, and answered.

"Mom."

"Lyra!" Her mother's voice was sharp and frantic. "What is going on with Leo? Why did the Lancaster family send him back? Their driver dropped him off without saying a single word and just left! I thought your mother-in-law adored him? He's her own flesh and blood grandson, why would they suddenly—"

"Mom." Lyra cut her off. "Leo is just staying with you for a few days. It's fine."

"Fine?" Her mother's pitch rose. "You call this fine? They sent the kid back without so much as an explanation! Did you do something to make Christian mad? Or does his family have a problem with you?"

Lyra closed her eyes. What could she possibly say? That Leo wasn't Christian's son? That she had conned the entire Lancaster family? Her mother would lose her mind.

"No. Christian has just been really busy, and his mother hasn't been feeling well, so they can't look after him right now. They just asked if he could stay for a few days."

There was a brief silence on the other end. Her mother's voice dropped, tinged with suspicion. "Tell me the truth, Lyra. Did you two have a fight?"

"No." Lyra's voice was completely flat, as if she were discussing someone else's life. "Stop overthinking it. Leo will stay with you for a bit, and I'll come pick him up in a few days."